Improvement in invalid-bedsteads



thvirnn STATEs PATENT 'p OFFICE.

'WILLIAM SWIFT, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IM PROVEMENT IN INVALID-BEDSTEADS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 10,?16, dated November 24, 1863.

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM SWIFT, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Invalid Attachment for Bedsteads; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a side view of my invention applied to a bedstead, Fig. 2, a plan or top view of thesame; Fig. 3, adetached view of a modiication of a portion of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the three gures.

The object of this invention is to obtain a simple and economical invalid attachment, which may bc applied to any ordinary bedstead and constructed in such a manner as to admit of the patient being placed in a lying or more or less recumbent position, as maybe desired, and at the same time admit of the bedclothing being changed when necessary without disturbing the patient in the least, and also affording a free circulation of air for the patient.

To this end the invention consists in the employment or use of two parallel bars, the ends of which rest on cross-rails at the head and foot of the bedstead, each parallel bar being provided with folding or jointed bars having canvas attached to them, and all arranged as hereinafter set forth.

To enable those skilled in the art to fullyr understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A A represent two parallel bars, the ends of which rest on cross-rails B B, one being at the head and the other at the foot of the bedstead. Each of the bars A has two bars, aa',

attached to it by joints b b', and said bars a af are connected by abar, c, the front end of the latter being attached by a joint, d, to the upper end of the bars a', and the back end of c attached to the bar a bya joint, e, the distance between the joint e and joint b being equal to the length of the bar a. The bars c c have a piece of canvas, O, attached to them, the ends of said canvas being fitted on pins f, attached to the bars c, in order to admit of its ready attachment thereto and removal therefrom. The bars a a, above the bars c c, are

also connected by a canvas, D, attached to them in a similar way, and this canvas D may be stuffed or upholstered in such a manner as to form a pillow, or a pillow may be made separate and attached to the canvas. The backs of the bars a. a are notched to receive the ends of props E, which are fitted in the bars A A, and connected to them by joints or pivots so that they may be turned down when not required for use, and raised when necessary to support the bars a, a in a more or less inclined position, as shown in red in Fig. 1. When the patient desires to be adjusted in a lying position, the bars a a are lowered by turning down the props E, and all the bars a c c rest upon the bars A A, as shown in black in Fig. 1.

F represents a foot-rest, which is placed on the bars A A a short distance in front of the i bars a.

ln order to facilitate the raising of the bars a, I insert a cross-bar, G, in their outer ends, said bar passing through guides g, attached to the bars a a, and having projections h attached to it, which, when the bar is turned so as to bring said projections out of line with the guides, prevent the casual withdrawing of the cross-bar. This will` be fully understood by referring to Fig. 2. The distance between the bars A A should be such that one person may lie`comfortably between them, and it will be seen that by slightly elevating the bars a, a the patient will be elevated above the mattress and sheet, so that one or both ofthe latter may be'removed with the greatest facility and clean articles putin their place. The position ofthe cross-rails B B should be such that the bars A A will be just above the mattress and sheets or clothing thereon, said rails B resting in brackets H, attached to the bedstead. rIhe ends of the bars A A may be fitted in notches i, made in the rails B, and the under surfaces of these rails may be grooved longitudinally, as shown at j, so that when inverted they may receive the rollers k of bars l, on which the bars AA may be placed. (See Fig. 3.) By this arrangement the device may, without disturbing the patient, be moved from one side of the bed to the other. The canvas G is provided with an opening, m, for the purpose of enabling the patient to use a bed-pan when necessary. rllhe pan may be applied or placed underneath the canvas O without disturbing the patient. This is a very important feature in cases Where the patient is much debilitated.

The device may be constructed at a very moderate cost and be applied to any bedstead in ordinary use.

An invalid attachment for bedsteads, conleither in a fixed or movable manner on crossrails B B, attached to the bedstead, and having the folding bars a a a a c c, attached to them, provided with canvas, C D, all being arranged substantially as herein set forth.

WILLIAM SWIFT.

Witnesses:

THos. L. J. DOUGLAS, GEo. W. REED. 

